Suspect arrested in beating death of Berkley man at Detroit gas station

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Detroit man wanted for the fatal beating of a 24-year-old man from Berkley after a car crash last week has been arrested, Detroit police say.

Lawrence Davis had been charged with murder last week following last Monday's beating death of Tyler Wingate. Davis had been named as a suspect the same day Wingate died and was charged with open murder on Friday.

Davis was arrested on the city's northwest side Tuesday afternoon at an apartment complex near 8 Mile and Telegraph. Detroit Police said he was taken in without incident Tuesday around 12:45 pm.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig held a press conference around 3:15 Tuesday where he said Davis had been arrested in an apartment complex in the 23500 block of west Eight Mile. Craig would not comment on what, in their investigation, led to the apartment complex, but he thanked citizens for calling in tips and said officers' relentless follow up, led them to Davis.

"Every time a person is murdered in City of Detroit, it is a priority," Craig said, regarding the urgency to solve the crime.

Craig said that they believe there were friends or family helping Davis hide and that Davis had gone to multiple locations in the week between the fatal beating and the arrest on Tuesday.

"(We have) no idea how long he had been there. He was moving around, we know that through investigative work," Craig said.

He did not say if anyone possibly helping Davis hide would be charged.

When reached by FOX 2 for comment, the family said it is"relieved and grateful to the Detroit police for their hard work."

Wingate was killed early Monday morning after the minor crash at Livernois and Davison. Surveillance video from the gas station showed Wingate walking up to a man and being hit with a vicious right punch.

Several witnesses standing nearby watched Tyler drop to the ground and at one point, Tyler tried to get up but the punches and kicks continued.

A witness was able to pull the man off of Tyler, and the man even appeared to try to swing at that witness.

When Tyler was laying lifeless, police say Davis tries to render some kind of aid, checked for a pulse then leaves the scene.

Then everyone but Tyler walked away as they left him to die.

Detroit Police say Davis didn't have a valid license - and the car he was driving wasn't his.